The Wayward Son

Avenger of Terra, Mess Hall

The Guardsmen in the room all tensed up fearfully at the arrival of the Adepta Sororitas who were known for being terrifying and merciless killers. They also had far less restraint than Space Marines and were easy to offend.

The poor unfortunate workers puckered fearfully as several of the sisters walked over and started requesting various things. Though they weren't rude, the women were definitely blunt in their requests.

A nearby guardsman whistled as several more headed for the line. Not even a second passed before a bolter was pointed at the side of his head, "Who are you whistling at, guardsman?"

The soldier gulped as he turned to look at the white haired, armour-clad sister of battle. The sister noticed the man next to him staring as well and pointed her second bolter at him, "Mind your business...and don't stare, it's rude."

Every male guardsman in the room immediately reconsidered staring at them as they all looked away. It was only then that the Sororitas realized the Deathwatch Astartes were in the mess hall. The one with the bolters looked over at the table incredulously before turning to one of her sisters, "Is that the group we were assigned with? Kill Team Calamity? What are those Deathwatch Astartes doing in here?"

The leader of the group snapped her head towards the space marines and immediately started walking towards them. Seiras had long since looked away, but he could hear her heavy, imposing footsteps growing closer.

He looked over as she got closer and saw the Sororitas' leader and her entourage heading towards them. The leader of the sisters had longer white hair than most of the others with black tips on them. She had blackish red lipstick, ice blue eyes, and two claw scars on her left cheek. The woman had a dark and brooding disposition about her, and radiated intense stoicism. Although the space marines weren't the best judge on what defines one as attractive, Seiras thought she was one of the stronger and better looking women he had seen in his lifetime. She stood taller than all of her sisters by a noticeable margin and had a power sword could be seen at her side as well as a flamer and a bolter. She was undoubtedly the leader of the bunch as the rest of the sisters either had flamers or multiple bolters. One sister had a chainsword however.

The leader of the Sororitas gave them a disapproving look much to their confusion and shook her head upon reaching them, "What are you space marines doing in here?"

Seiras, not being one to let someone talk down to him, immediately stood up and approached the pack of fanatical women. He looked down at their leader calmly, "We were eating. Is there something you need, sister?"

The sister narrowed her gaze when she saw his psychic hood and blood raven shoulder plate, "Blood Raven huh? A librarian too? I'm amazed your traitor chapter is even allowed into Deathwatch. So you guys are Kill Team Calamity I take it?"

The librarian immediately disliked her for the comment about his chapter and narrowed his gaze, "Do you have a problem with us being here, sister?"

"No...I just thought I'd see you for myself. I am your direct superior next to Captain Arius for this mission you've been assigned to," she replied.

'Gregorius was right...we're under the Ecclesiarchy's authority here,' Seiras thought briefly.

The leader of the Sororitas crossed her arms, "I understand you're all highly experienced at killing other space marines. Although with a Blood Raven, a Space Wolf, and a Minotaur that's hardly surprising. Those chapters are infamous for that kind of thing. Is that a Blackshield I see as well? You're just full of Astartes killers aren't you? Now I see why the Ordo Malleus picked your team for this mission."

Decimus didn't seem as offended as Seiras, but he still gave the woman a harsh stare, "Do you have anything relevant to say to us?"

"Just noting facts here, Minotaur. Luckily your chapter is trusted by the Ecclesiarchy. Although I don't know how i feel about this Blackshield here..." the Sororitas leader said as she looked at Nogemo.

Nogemo seemed unfazed by the woman as he walked over to Seiras' side and spoke calmly, "Why is that?"

"I don't like traitors...and the only Astartes who become blackshields are ex traitors. What chapter are you from? What's your name?" she half demanded.

"Nogemo...I'm from Deathwatch," he replied in a smart ass way.

She glared at him, "Very funny...I'll be watching you, traitor. Which one of you is the leader?"

"I am, sister. I'm Watch Sergeant Kallius," the Blood Angel Watch Sergeant introduced himself as he walked over to Seiras' other side.

"Huh...a Blood Angel too. You guys are just full of unstable chapters. I'm in charge of the Commandery on this mission. I'm Cannoness Commander Jessenta Silvina of the Order of the Valorous Heart. I hope you don't have a problem following my commands, brothers," she introduced herself reaching out to shake Kallius' hand.

"Why do we have to answer to you?" Nogemo couldn't help but ask.

"Is that going to be a problem, Blackshield?" she hissed after letting go of Kallius' hand.

The bald Blackshield shrugged, "Well no, but I just find it odd that we would be under the command of Sororitas. If that's the case our chain of command goes from the Inquisitor to Captain Arius and then you? Interesting..."

"That's strike two, Blackshield...give me one more reason to kill you," Jessenta said threateningly.

Nogemo sighed at her and chose not to reply. The towering Space Marine briefly made eye contact with Seiras and gave the libarian an amused look as if to imply that she would have no chance of ever killing him.

"Relax, Commander Silvina. We're simply here to do a job. It doesn't matter to me or any of us who's in charge. We're all a part of the same holy mission," Kallius replied easing the tension.

She nodded approvingly at the Sergeant's compliance, "Good...who are the rest of you then? I would like your names."

"This is brother Viggo of the Space Wolves, brother Decimus of the Minotaurs, brother Nemias of the Salamanders, and Brother Seiras of the Blood Ravens. Our Black Templar brother that left is Gregorius," Kallius introduced the rest of them.

Jessenta looked at Viggo for a moment, "I hope you're good at following orders, wolf man. The last Space Wolf I worked with was a rowdy moron who never shut up."

"As long as it involves fighting then I can," the Space Wolf laughed.

"No drinking either...I will not tolerate drunk buffoons," she continued.

"Aye...whatever you say," Viggo responded casually.

She rolled her eyes and looked at Seiras afterward, "As for you, Blood Raven, I know all about how your chapter pillages anything it can get its hands on. if I so much as hear about you finding gifts while you're under my command then we are going to have a problem."

Viggo burst into laughter upon hearing her threat, "Ahahaha, Seiras, don't go looting stuff you bloody magpie."

Nemias and Nogemo snickered a bit as well. Kallius and Decimus had straight faces and seemed a bit confused about the Sororita's hostility towards Seiras.

The man gave her a serious look, "You seem like you already have a problem with me."

"Rightfully so. Other than being thieves, your chapter is also known to us for killing sisters in the Order of the Sacred Rose. I would not be surprised if you were among those present that did so," Jessenta said venomously.

Seiras gave her a harsh look, "If you know that, then you should probably be more wary about insulting the Blood Ravens to my face."

"If you keep up with that stand off attitude, we're going to have a serious problem," she said fiercely.

"Are we? What are you going to do to me?" Seiras responded.

"I've killed Astartes before, brother Seiras..." Jessenta said darkly as she reached for the hilt of her power sword.

Seiras gave her an intense glare, "Just try it."

Upon uttering those words, nearly all of the Sororitas reached for their weapons and stared him down seriously. Viggo and Decimus jumped up as well leaving Nemias sitting at the table with a wide eye. Decimus had a blood crazed look on his face and terrified a few of the sisters as the colossal terminator growled at them.

"Brothers, calm down...there's no need for this," Kallius tried to be the voice of reason.

"What are they talking about? I can't hear them? Are they going to fight?" someone asked randomly from further away. The room seemed riled up in anticipation watching Astartes and Sororitas interract.

Seiras wanted so much to put this condescending woman in her place, but against his bitter sense of pride he took the high road and simply sighed, "Your hostility is unnecessary, commander. I will not be a problem for you."

The woman seemed to relax considerably at Seiras' restraint causing all of the Astartes and Sororitas to calm down. Jessenta gave Seiras a blank look, "So long as we're clear on that. I do not take pleasure in killing Astartes if I don't have to."

The room's inhabitants looked simultaneously surprised and disappointed that Seiras didn't retaliate. Decimus looked at Seiras curiously but said nothing. Viggo seemed lighthearted about the entire situation while the others looked thankful that Seiras calmed down.

A nearby guardsman shook his head at his buddies, "Doesn't look like they're going to fight after all. I guess even Astartes don't wanna fuck with a wild pack of bolter bitches."

The Sororitas' leader drew her bolter and fired over the man's head causing him to nearly piss himself, "What did you say, guardsman?! Do have something you want to say to my face?!"

"N-no ma'am!" he replied fearfully. Everyone in the mess hall turned to watch as Jessenta walked over to the man's table nearby.

"I think you called me a bolter bitch? Do you know what happened to the last person that called me that?! I shoved my bolter in his mouth like this, and I blew off his damn head." She threatened as she placed the barrel of her bolter into the man's mouth while holding back his head.

The man was terrified now as Jessenta looked at him sadistically, "If that sounds too gruesome for you, I can always burn you alive with my flamer. For all I know, you're probably a heretic."

"No ma'am, I'm not!" The man tried to speak despite the bolter's barrel being in his mouth.

"You're not? So then you just thought you were a comedian? Tell me guardsmen, how funny are you now?" the woman asked darkly as she dug her gauntlet into his head pulling his neck back even further.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" he shouted.

"Because I think you're really funny now! C'mon everyone laugh for our commedian here! HAHAHA. Isn't he so funny?!" Jessenta forced aggressive laughter.

"Commissar on deck!" a random guardsman shouted at the top of his lungs causing the entire room to jump to their feet at attention. The only person that didn't was the guardsman with a bolter in his mouth. Jessenta let him go shortly afterward. The sisters and marines all looked towards the entrance of the mess hall where the fleet commissar was now standing. He looked beyond angry as he made his way towards them.

Having a closer look at him, Seiras noticed he was definitely seasoned judging by his greying hair, many scars, and large assortment of medals. The Commissar walked fearlessly towards them and spoke angrily, "What in the name of the Emperor is going on in here?! I've got reports of rabble in my mess hall and I arrive to see Astartes and Sororitas in here with power armour on trying to intimidate my men?! And is that a bolter shot I heard?! Are you kidding me?!"

The guardsmen and shipmen present seemed thankful that they were not at the recieving end of the commissar's wrath for once. Others seemed impressed that he had the balls to yell at Space Marines and Sisters of Battle at the same time and by himself.

"With all due respect Commissar, I think you should calm down," Jessenta replied threateningly. The people in the mess hall were all watching with anticipation as if this was the most entertaining thing they had seen in ages.

"All permanent ship crew and guardsmen clear out immediately! Sororitas and Astartes remain!" The commissar roared.

Without hesitation, everyone in the room got up and dispersed as quickly as possible. It was clear that they were terrified of this Commissar. Seiras looked down at the seasoned, battle hardened Commissar annoyed. The Commissar was larger than most people and was about two meters tall if Seiras had to guess. Despite the man's size, he still only came up to Seiras' chest. The commissar was a bit taller than Jessenta, who was about 192 centimeters in her power armour. She was probably the tallest woman Seiras had ever seen.

Viggo, Decimus, and Nogemo were all larger than Seiras and dwarfed the Commissar as they all stood by the librarian's side. Nemias and Kallius walked towards the sides of the group looking at the Commissar calmly. They were about the same height and slightly shorter than the librarian.

The Commissar maintained his bearing as the towering superhumans gathered, and showed no fear as he spoke, "What do you all think you're doing fraternizing with my men and women in the mess hall? You were given special accomodations at the Inquisitor's order. I assumed Deathwatch Space Marines would have had more decency than to come in here and stir up trouble. And Sisters...you are NOT allowed to carry loaded bolters in here! You are especially not allowed to put them in my men's mouths!"

'Because that's only alright when you do it right?' Seiras thought to himself.

Viggo couldn't help but laugh at how angry the commissar was getting which only served to set him off.

"Something funny, space wolf?! You must be the joker of the group! Am I right?" the commissar said angrily.

Viggo was about to say something, but stopped when Kallius put a hand on his shoulder.

"What do you think you were doing bringing loaded weapons and power armour into the mess hall?! That might be okay in your own militant branches, but it is unacceptable to assault my men and point loaded weapons at the crew of my ship without good cause! If I had any authority over this matter, I'd have you all punished for this ridiculous lack of discipline!" The Commissar ranted.

"We apologize for the drama, Commissar," Nemias tried to calm the man down. Viggo looked like he was trying his hardest not to laugh again. Seiras, Decimus, Nogemo, and Kallius all had straight faces. It was good that Gregorius wasn't there, because Seiras could only imagine how confrontational he would have been.

"We were merely in a hurry to eat, Lord Commissar and forgot to leave them in our quarters," one of the higher ranking sisters explained.

"Did you also forget that you have a chainsword strapped to your leg too?" the man asked increduloulsy.

The Sororitas all said nothing as they all simply stared at the commissar waiting for him to finish his rant.

"We didn't stir up any trouble sir...I just wanted an actual meal, and your men wanted to ask us questions. Cannoness Commander Jessenta Silvina here simply came to introduce herself to us and everything else is a misunderstanding," Seiras explained.

"I do not care if you're Space Marines...I do not care if you're Sisters of Battle...I could care less if you were all commissars! There are rules aboard this ship that even your holier-than-thou asses will all abide by! Do I make myself clear?" the Commissar said authoritatively.

"I think you've stepped outside your mind, Commissar...we don't answer to you or this chain of command. We answer to the Inquisitor only here," Seiras said fiercely.

"Yes do you..." a voice sounded from nearby.

Before any of them could say another word, Inquisitor Atia walked into the room with an unhappy face. She had apparently been standing in the doorway watching them for the past minute or so, "I heard you all were wandering around the ship...but mingling with the crew? Whose idea was this?"

"It was mine," Seiras immediately took responsibility for it. Jessenta gave him a curious look for owning up to the responsibility immediately.

"I recommended us eating with the crew since we were low on nutrient paste," Nemias added.

"Mingling? What does that mean?" Decimus repeated the word confused.

"I think it means spending time with or talking to. It's just some fancy word for socializing," Kallius explained to the Minotaur Terminator.

She looked at them confused, "Can't space marines go weeks without eating? Why would that be a valid reason to come here?"

"We were bored and I wanted an actual meal. It wasn't a matter of necessity," Seiras responded.

Atia gave the man a perplexed look, "You're telling me you were bored? Are you kidding me, Seiras?! Since when do space marines get bored?"

"When we're assigned to an empty hanger with no supplies and equipment," Seiras replied.

Kallius shook his head, "This was my responsibility inquisitor. I did not intend for us to cause a problem."

"Have you all forgotten why you're here?!" Atia demanded.

"No..." Seiras replied bluntly.

"Obviously you have...and you Commander...what are you doing pointing weapons at people on this flagship? Are you trying to show off to my Deathwatch Marines?" the Inquisitor asked Jessenta.

"Well some guardsman called me a bolter bitch. I can't just let someone get away with calling me bolter bitch," Jessenta shrugged.

Atia gave her a hard glare, "You are a bolter bitch...for bringing a loaded bolter in here and threatening people with it like a crazy bitch. Get out of here...return to your quarters, Commander Bolter Bitch."

'Did the Inquisitor really just stoop to that level of immaturity? I've never seen Atia act like that.' Seiras thought surprised.

"As you say, Inquisitor," the cannoness commander nodded before leaving with her sisters. Seiras noticed the Sororita give the Inquisitor a nasty glare and a middle finger after walking behind her and the commissar. The whole thing was very strange for him to witness.

"The Imperial Fists and White Templars are arriving within the next day. When they do we will depart for the warp. The trip is estimated to take about two to three weeks. You are all to return to your quarters immediately as well. I will send for you if you're needed. The rest of you may go...but Seiras wait outside for me," She said gesturing for them all to leave.

"Surely you intend to do something about this behavior of theirs?" the Commissar asked as they all left one by one.

Atia looked at him and shook her head, "It's not a big deal...but I'll make sure they don't do it again. We don't need rumors spreading throughout the fleet."

"I'll be on my way, Inquisitor," the Commissar said displeased. Atia left the mess hall shortly afterward and saw Seiras leaning against the wall nearby. The Commissar passed by and continued walking as the two stared each other down.

One of the grey knights was also standing outside and looked between Atia and Seiras quietly.

Atia frowned at Seiras' callous expression, "You might not be the Watch Sergeant, but your team follows you a lot more than you think, Seiras. It's why you're second in command for your team. Even Sergeant Kallius defers to you more often than not. That's not common for a marine of his reputation to do with someone half his age. He's a first company blood angel that thinks highly of you. According to the Ordo Xenos, he specifically requested you to be on his team in Deathwatch."

Seiras said nothing as he gave Atia a blank stare.

"You're also a psyker and you've convinced a Minotaur, a Space Wolf, and a Black Templar to work with you...it speaks volumes about the amount of influence you hold over them. They respect you and all of the terrible campaigns you've endured. That is why you should set a better example for them as the team's librarian."

"We were just getting food and passing the time until servitors arrived. I didn't even try to talk to the crew...they just kept coming over to us," Seiras said with a sigh.

"If you really wanted food the servitors would have brought you some eventually. What's the real reason why you dragged your team into this situation? I doubt it was boredom. Did you just want to piss me off?" she asked.

"You're seriously making a big deal out of this, Inquisitor?" he asked almost disbelievingly.

"It's not about you going to the mess hall...it's about why you did it. You always go off and do whatever you want on a whim. I swear, sometimes it feels like you're not even a space marine. Your rebellious behavior infects your entire Kill Team and invites chaotic rabble wherever you go. I didn't think I had to concern myself with a Deathwatch Kill Team being as undisciplined and embarrassing as yours. This is something I expect from penal guard legions or common guardsmen...not the emperor's angels of death. Not from Deathwatch. The Ordo Xenos told me your team was one of their finest...experienced in slaying aliens, daemons, and Astartes alike. So far you're a disgrace to the Ordo Malleus and my task force," she said condemningly.

"Forgive me madame inquisitor, but I don't like being confined to a room like a weapon being put into an armoury. Why do we have to sit in some half ass quarters on an Imperial Navy ship? Couldn't you use your great and mighty Inquisitorial authority to get us a strike cruiser or something more practical? We could have just stayed on the cruiser we came in on. If that's out of the question, we will gladly go with the Imperial Fists ships when they arrive," he replied bluntly.

"That is not happening! You're staying with me on this ship! You will remain here on this ship because my Stormtroopers and those bolter bitches are going with your team in Shark Assault Boats. You Blood Ravens have a real problem with authority. It's no wonder there was a civil war in your chapter. This is the last time I will tolerate your disobedience. If I tell you to lick my boots, guard a latrine, or sit in a hanger then I expect you to do so without question, Seiras! It's not your place to decide what's right or wrong here. It's not your place to make demands of me either! I don't care if you're a space marine...I wouldn't care if you were a chapter master. You answer to me and the Inquisition! Period! Is that understood?!" Atia said angrily.

"Perfectly, Inquisitor..." he nodded calmly.

"You are a weapon first and foremost, Space Marine. The Emperor created you to be used for the Imperium of Man's endless wars. He created you to die for mankind. I don't care what you want or feel...didn't they get rid of all those emotions and free thoughts during your indoctrination? What's so bad about your accomodations anyway?" she said venomously.

"It's an insult to us...you treat the grey knights like they're Terran Lords, but the rest of us are simply shoved into an unused hanger? Why would you even pull in the Ordo Xenos for help if you have the amazing Grey Knights," he complained as he looked at the nearby Grey Knight.

The Grey Knight there was undoubtedly Captain Arius judging by how prestigious his terminator armour looked and the Nemesis Force halberd in his hand. His reaction was impossible to discern as he was wearing a helmet.

"Nothing is ever enough for you is it? You are far too entitled, impatient, and disrespectful for my liking. If it wasn't for you being a seasoned librarian with a notable record from the Ordo Xenos , I would have never accepted an Astartes like you into my task force. You would do well to remember your place, Blood Raven. Question me again and I'll send your head and geneseed back to your chapter command with a letter detailing your inability to follow orders. It's a wonder you even made it into Deathwatch. You're a failure as far as I'm concerned. Maybe you'll earn your honour back by dying for the emperor in this upcoming battle," she hissed.

"Will that be all, Inquisitor?" he asked callously.

"Think about what I told you," Atia said as she turned to leave. Arius followed behind her, but not before a lingering glance at Seiras who walked the opposite direction.

Upon walking around a corner hallway, the librarian saw a familiar face. It was the first female guardsman that talked to him from earlier. She had apparently eavesdropped on the entire conversation between him and the Inquisitor.

'How did I not sense her over here? I would have heard her wouldn't I? My senses must be dull right now because of how annoyed I am.' Seiras thought concerned.

The female guardsman seemed startled when Seiras looked at her and nervously looked down not finding the words to justify her actions. Seiras lightly and stealthily read her mind's surface thoughts to find out what she was thinking.

"That Inquisitor is a total bitch. I should say something to Seiras while we're here alone. This is my only chance. Emperor grant me strength." The guardsman thought as she looked at Seiras briefly making eye contact.

"Umm...I," she tried to think of something to say, but was interrupted.

"Sorry about earlier guardsman. I'm just in a bad mood today," Seiras cut her off as he started to walk away.

He made it several steps before she called out to him, "W-wait! Umm...Seiras was your name right?"

The Blood Raven stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her, "Yes it is..."

'She knew I was a Blood Raven before anyone mentioned it in the mess hall. I wonder if that's why she wanted to talk to me?' Seiras thought.

"You don't have to go back to that hanger yet if you don't want to. I mean I could-" she seemed like she was trying to come up with a reason for him to not go away yet.

"Show me the weather around here?" he asked.

A slight blush crept up on her face as she rubbed the back of her head shyly, "Uhh...yeah that was pretty dumb of me to say earlier. Listen umm...I'm sorry for being all weird and bothersome before. And I'm really sorry about what my friend said! She didn't mean to be so crude about it."

"It's alright...it wasn't the first time I've been asked about it and it most certainly won't be the last," Seiras replied.

She seemed relieved that Seiras wasn't mad at her and eased up slightly, "I really wanted to talk to you and it was embarrassing with everyone else watching. I'm not good with people staring."

"How do you think I feel? I get stared at all the time" he said. She seemed to think about his question after he asked it.

"Well...it's hard not to stare at you," she said shyly.

Seiras made sure to block out reading her thoughts as he looked at her uncertainly. He took this time to actually take in her appearance. She had medium light brown hair that was shorter than his, freckles, and green eyes. From his best guess she was around 175 to 180 cm in height. She was wearing a more casual military tank top without her chest armour and helmet, but was still wearing the lower half of her uniform. It must have been an undershirt that went with the uniform as it matched her attire.

The woman had an Imperial Aquila tattooed to her left shoulder and what looked like a raven on the other one. He stared at it for a moment curiously, 'A Raven Tattoo?'

It was different than that the Blood Raven sigil, but was still quite similar. The female guardsman had a muscular feminine frame, but wasn't as buff as some he had seen. Seiras could tell she was getting embarrassed as he examined her.

"I'm from Meridian..." she finally said after a long silence, "I recognized the Blood Raven symbol on your shoulder plate. We've met before."

Seiras gave her a confused look, "When was that?"

"About twenty years ago. I was only a little girl at the time, but I would recognize those eyes and that face from anywhere. You haven't aged a day," She said as she finally got the courage to maintain eye contact.

The space marine gave her a confused look and said nothing as she nervously fiddled with a lock of her hair.

"You saved my district from a Tyrannid attack. That's why I was so...awkward when I saw it was you again. The Emperor gave me this chance to properly thank you for what you did. I was only a child then, so I couldn't really express proper gratitude," the guardsman said shyly.

The Blood Raven looked at her more closely, "I must have saved you personally if you could recognize my face...wait, I remember what you're talking about now. I did save a child from a Hive Warrior there...are you saying that was you?"

"Y-yeah..." she said distantly.

"Time flies..." Seiras said distantly.

"Twenty years and I finally see him again...the Emperor has truly granted my wish. What are the odds I would encounter him here of all places? This is divine providence...there is no other explanation. Maybe this is a sign that I should return to my faith in the Emperor," Seiras heard her think as he briefly read her mind.

'Return to her faith in the Emperor? Why would she not be faithful already?' Seiras wondered after hearing her thoughts.

"You joined the Imperial Guard I see? Why?" Seiras asked after a brief silence.

She frowned, "Well, girls can't become Astartes...I remember you telling me that when I begged to stay with you. But I still wanted to fight alongside the Emperor's angels. To protect mankind is a great calling. Especially with evils like the Tyrannids out there...I wanted to do my part, even if it was only small in comparison to yours."

"I see..." Seiras replied as he recalled his experience with the young girl from all those years ago with perfect clarity. Blood Ravens were known for having perfect memories due to a mutation in their Catalepsean node, but it hindered their ability to completely enter R.E.M. sleep unfortunately. Seiras remembered specific details about how he showed up just in time to kill a Tyrannid Hive Warrior as it was devouring a family of people in the lower districts of Meridian. The only survivor was a young girl who could not have been older than eight. She had brown hair, green eyes, and freckles. Seiras remembered how physically pathetic she was when she cried at his blood covered feet. The Blood Raven took pity on her and got her out of the Tyrannid warzone. He was drawn from his memories as she spoke again.

"You're exactly like I remember you...I'm glad I got to see you again. It's things like this that make me truly believe that the Emperor looks out for us. It's easy to lose faith when everything that can go wrong does...but seeing one shining light means so much to us regular people. Seeing you...my guardian angel again means a lot to me." she said softly as she smiled at the man.

Seiras wasn't really sure how to react to her somewhat emotional state. It was clear that she felt more comfortable around him now as she came closer and looked up with twinkling eyes. A single tear fell down her face as she smiled.

'She's crying? Why is she smiling and crying?' Seiras wondered completely lost. He was not familiar with whatever emotion she was experiencing right now.

"I'm glad your faith did not betray you then. The Emperor truly does look out for us all," Seiras said nodding with understanding. Much to his confusion, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his waist.

'What is she doing? Holding onto me? I should go before this gets any stranger,' Seiras thought. During his brainstorming, he was completely aloof to her emotions and the hug.

"May the Emperor Protect you, Lord Seiras..." the guardsman said with a smile as she let go.

"The Emperor Protects," Seiras replied with a nod as he began to walk away.

"I wonder if I should tell him my name? Will I ever see him again? What should I do? Is it weird if I tell him? Does he even care? My name doesn't matter to him...he didn't react at all to my feelings. I should have known I was too far gone for a him to help me." she thought to herself as Seiras departed. He overheard her pitiful thoughts as he left and stopped in his tracks.

'I wasn't even trying to read her mind that time, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know who this weird girl is. I wonder what she meant by too far gone? She's guilty about something,' Seiras thought.

"What was your name, guardsman? I should probably remember it if I see you again," he asked. In truth he figured that he would probably never see her again, but it made the woman feel better and for some reason he felt like it was worth knowing.

"Daniella Vara...all my friends just call me Danny," she said.

"Stay faithful, Danny," he said as he finally left. He tried to probe her mind as he was leaving in case he could pick up her intentions, but much to his confusion he couldn't.

'That's strange...I can't read her mind anymore. It's like she was filtering her thoughts. Very unusual...If I push harder, she'll know i'm reading her mind. I guess that's the end of that then' Seiras thought as he continued back to the hanger.

As he walked by himself back to the hanger for the better part of half an hour, he eventually saw the Adepta Sororitas leader Jessenta leaning against the bulkhead in front of him.

"I figured you would take this path," the Sororita said.

"What is it, commander? Is there something you need?" Seiras asked curiously. He was still displeased about her attitude from earlier and was doing little to hide his disapproval in seeing her.

The woman ignored his expression and nodded, "I have something I want to tell you..."

"What might that be?" the man asked simply.

She looked around to make sure there were no servo skulls, recording devices, or ship crew around before speaking, "I think the Inquisitor is a bitch."

A moment passed before Seiras realized it was actually a joke. He stared at her unsure of what to say until she finally laughed. He had met and even fought Sisters of Battle before, but he never truly understood them as each sister had a very unique personality.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Seiras asked confused.

Jessenta chuckled lightly before getting serious, "No, but I what I really wanted to ask is how experienced are you with fighting daemons?"

"Well my former chapter master, Azariah Kyras, became a Daemon Prince...so I would say pretty experienced." Seiras said assuming that was enough to answer her question.

She shook her head in annoyance, "No, I mean like what kinds of daemons have you fought?"

"Bloodletters, a Bloodthirster or two, Unclean Ones, and some others like that," Seiras answered.

Jessenta frowned, "I see...so you don't have experience with Daemonettes?"

"Not really. That's mostly Ordo Malleus territory," Seiras replied.

"They're vile seductresses...you're a psyker so they will be targetting you especially hard during the mission. Do not trust every innocent girl you see..." Jessenta warned.

The man looked at her confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You see these slashes on my cheek? I got these from a daemonette. Daemons of Slaanesh aren't like the chaos forces you've fought up until now. They will not attack you with strength, speed, or wit. They will go after your heart...your desire...your feelings if they can. Some can appear as beautiful, vulnerable, and even sympathetic but it is only an illusion. If you're alone, they'll appear before you like that guardsman girl," Jessenta said softly.

"You saw that earlier?" he asked somewhat surprised. That was twice today someone had elluded his detection skills.

"I saw that and your conversation with Inquisitor Atia...you're a prime target right now for all sorts of people. Come here, Seiras, I have something I need to tell you," Jessenta commanded.

The sororita motioned for Seiras to lean over and got closer to his face. She whispered very quietly, "There are traitors on this ship...the Ecclesiarchy suspected heresy and sent us with you for this mission. That's why we're really here."

Seiras gave her a serious look, "Are you serious? Are you saying that girl is a heretic?"

"Likely...girls like her are always the ones that you shouldn't trust," Jessenta whispered.

"Why haven't you done anything yet?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head, "I don't know how many of them there are, and if I play my hand too soon, they'll all scatter like bugs. Have you...had any strange visions or feelings since coming on this ship?"

"Yes I have...I can't quite explain it, but something about the entire mission feels wrong to me. I can't pinpoint what it is...I assumed it was a brewing warpstorm, but it's almost as if something is blocking or clouding my psychic powers," Seiras replied.

The Sororita sighed, "Something is definitely clouding your senses...because the grey knights and the Inquisitor don't seem to detect anything either and they're trained for this kind of thing."

"Have you thought to bring this up to the Inquisitor?" Seiras asked.

"Not at all...she's is not very subtle and would undoubtedly let too many slip through the cracks if she brought down the hammer. It's the reason why this fleet was never properly cleansed of heresy in the first place. Not to mention, the first person the Inquisitor would suspect of heresy is you...so you can imagine why I'm keeping this from her for the time being," Jessenta explained.

The man cocked his head, "You don't suspect me at all? Didn't you imply my chapter was a traitor chapter?"

"Yes, but I know you are innocent because of one simple thing...you make it obvious that you dislike the Inquisition. A proper infiltrator would pretend to be a devout servant. You're also a librarian that resisted a heretical schism in your chapter...so I highly doubt you would kill your traitor brothers only to betray the Imperium later. Your dislike of the Inquisitor however serves to draw out potential heretics who might want to sway you. Nothing personal," Jessenta explained.

Just then an epiphany hit him. Jessenta was trying to make him a target for heretics. The man shook his head, "Heretics would be delusional to think a Space Marine could ever be swayed so easily."

"They are delusional...which is why we should take advantage of this situation," Jessenta explained.

Seiras thought about what she was saying as the scene with the Daniella girl played over in his head again, 'I couldn't detect that girl earlier, yet her mind was so wide open I practically heard her thoughts with no effort...until they were blocked out. hmm, there's more to this than I thought. She kept expressing some kind of renewed faith in the Emperor as if she had lost faith at some point...she might just be a heretic after all.'

"So what do you suggest we do?" the man wondered.

"The only thing we can do...we wait for them to reveal themselves. Just be careful, brother...anyone in this fleet who isn't a grey knight, the Inquisitor, my Commandery, or your Kill Team is a potential heretic. Trust nobody...and stay armed," she said softly.

It was only then that Seiras realized why all the Sororitas were carrying weapons around earlier. They didn't feel safe without them given the nature of their secret mission.

"Seiras is that you? I forgot to tell you something," a voice said coming down the hallway and around the corner. Judging by the sound of it, the individual was none other than the Daniella girl from earlier.

"It's that girl...she's following you," Jessenta said quietly.

The two definitely looked suspicious in their current predicament, and would no doubt be suspected of collaborating if found in this postion. So doing the quickest thing she could think of in order to make it look like they weren't up to anything scheme-related, the Sororita pulled Seiras in for a kiss as the woman came around the corner.

She quickly moved her arms to make it look like Seiras had kissed her and pushed the marine back. Jessenta broke the kiss and angrily punched Seiras in the face, "What do you think you're doing, brother?! Control yourself...how dare you kiss me! I didn't even think you liked women!"

Seiras had never kissed anyone before in his life, and he couldn't really describe this unusual experience. He had no idea what was going on for a moment, but quickly figured out it must be some kind of act so he went along with it, "I apologize, Commander Jessenta."

"I know you guys don't get laid, but seriously? You should know better than to cozy up to me like that. I'm your commanding officer for this mission...and I'm a Sororita. I suggest you keep your lustful thoughts to yourself unless you want me to burn you alive! What kind of a space marine are you?!"

"Did you two just...kiss?" Daniella gasped with shock as she looked between the two of them confused. The woman appeared genuinely distraught by the fact that Seiras had actually kissed a sister of battle despite his seeming lack of interest in all things female earlier.

"What are you doing snooping around here, girl? This isn't a show! Where were you going?" Jessenta demanded fiercely.

The female guardsman gulped, "I-I was just walking to sick bay and I thought I heard Seiras."

"Well keep on walking then...I'm having a conversation with Seiras right now about his lack of self-restraint," Jessenta said angrily.

Daniella was quick to shuffle along with haste as the Sororita ranted for about another minute. After making sure the woman was out of range for good, Jessenta stopped.

A brief silence passed as the two stared at each other awkwardly.

"Why did you do that?" Seiras asked confused.

The Sororita commander took a moment to make sure the woman was actually gone before speaking, "Why did I kiss you? Sorry about that, brother. I don't typically condone lustful things like that, but I had to make it look like we were talking for a different reason. That girl is following you around and trying to get closer to you. She's definitely looking to recruit you if I had to guess."

Seiras felt his lip for a moment and looked at her, "So that was a kiss?"

"Yes...was I your first?" she asked curiously.

The man nodded, "You were."

"That's good. Better you had it with someone pure like me than some heretic harlot. I-oh you should probably wipe that off," Jessenta said as she licked her thumb, reached up, and tried to wipe off the dark lipstick she left on him.

"What are you doing?" the man asked as she wiped his lips several times with her thumb.

"You had lipstick on you still..." she said looking away.

Seiras made it a point not to read her thoughts as he felt it would be inappropriate to do to a Sister of Battle.

"That girl is the key to unraveling this conspiracy...so here's what I want you to do. When she comes by to ask you about what happened between us, I want you to tell her that you're unhappy with the Inquisitor and that you thought I would understand how you felt. When she asks why you kissed me, tell her it was because you lost control of your emotions for a moment when I said you were my bitch. If she's a Slaaneshi cultist, which I believe she is, then that kind of thing will turn her on and make her easy to manipulate," Jessenta said quietly.

"Umm...okay," Seiras said uncertainly.

"Tell her you don't feel right about this mission and that you feel like something is going wrong. After expressing your dislike for the Inquisition, she will likely trust you then and make an offer to join the cultists. When she does...find out who is all involved and my Sororitas will root them out. Keep in mind, you might have to do some things that are somewhat heretical...for them to truly trust you," Jessenta explained.

The man gave her a dumbfounded look, "You're actually telling me to commit heresy? This is ridiculous. You were practically accusing me of that earlier and now you want me to commit it willingly? What makes you think this plan of yours is any better than letting the Inquisitor handle it?"

She scowled at him, "I wouldn't dare suggest it if we had a better choice in the matter. It goes against all of my morals and yours...but something has to be done about the traitors on this ship. Considering your history with that woman, you are the best way for us to lure them out."

"How are they a threat though? Do you really expect a few heretics and traitors to sabotage the fleet during a space battle?" Seiras gawked.

Jessenta cracked a fist angrily, "You don't understand...they're not just heretics. They are a Slaaneshi Cult. Considering that we're going after a warband of Slaanesh worshipping space marines, you can imagine why my superiors thought it concerning. They could very well have contacted the enemy about our movements and set up an ambush."

"If that's the case, then it's already too late to do anything about it," Seiras replied.

"Not necessarily. They might have told the enemy we're coming already, but what we really need is to find out what they've lied to us about. I do not trust the intel regarding this enemy fleet. We need to find out who they are, what they know, and why they're on this mission. To do that, you will have to go undercover," The Sister said with a heavy sigh.

Seiras frowned at her, "You're asking me to pretend like I want to join their cult?"

"No...I'm ordering you to do it. I...I am deeply sorry that I have to make you to do this. To stain your purity for the sake of uprooting this heretic conspiracy. Please just endure it...considering your reputation as a loyal Blood Raven, I trust you can. Just know that any sin will be forgiven by the Emperor and by us if you do this for the right reason," Jessenta said the last part sadly.

"Why me? Couldn't a regular spy do this job?" he asked shaking his head.

"This is the only way...and the only thing they would never suspect from you or me. Loyal space marines are not known for being double agents. They would undoubtedly never suspect you of betrayal once you proved your interest in joining them. If you could convince them to trust you, then they would consider you their strongest ally. They would tell you everything we need to know. Not to mention...if all of the psykers are getting clouded visions, it's likely because their ringleader is a powerful Psyker too. Since you're a psyker, you will have protection against them reading your mind. It's the most ideal situation to root them out," Jessenta answered.

Seiras looked at her seriously and nodded, "I will do what I have to if you truly believe this is the only way."

"Brother Seiras...I-I should probably tell you that part of your way in as a double agent will no doubt involve intimacy with that guard girl. I don't know what impure things she will want you to do, but your way into the cult will very likely involve a show of proof that you're one of them. They could make you do anything for all I know," Jessenta frowned.

"How can you be so sure that she's a heretic?" the man asked.

"I know a heretic when I see one. They hide behind the illusion of innocence. They are also drawn to pure things...such as yourself. But for her specifically, I noticed that she has purple eyeliner. That is not a typical color for a guardsman to wear. They are allowed wear black eyeliner in their dress uniforms...her color is out of Imperial Guard regulations and she was wearing it in her combat uniform," the Sororita elaborated in detail.

Seiras felt truly impressed by her high awareness and detective skills. He noticed that detail, but didn't think much of it at the time.

"I suppose you've done your research then. I will trust in it, commander. What do I do if I'm caught by the Inquisitor or the Grey Knights while undercover? Also will your sisters know about this?" Seiras asked.

"My Sororitas will know, but nobody else can. Pray for the Emperor's salvation if Atia or the grey knights find you undercover, for I won't be able to help you and nobody will believe you are innocent. Be careful, brother..." she whispered.

Seiras nodded, "I should go. Where can I find you if I need to talk about this?"

"Only talk to me again once you've found the traitor hive. We only get one chance at this," She said.

"I might just be able to send you a psychic message if it's urgent," Seiras explained.

The woman nodded in approval, "That would work...but it would not be easy for you to do in front of them."

"I have my ways. Be safe, Commander Jessenta...may the Emperor Protect you," Seiras said as he began to leave.

After the two parted ways, Seiras felt a sickening feeling in his stomach, 'I have to go undercover to find heretics? Emperor protect me...'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Avenger of Terra, Hanger 5, Two Days Later, Warpspace XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It didn't take long for the Imperial Fists and White Templars to arrive and join the Inquisitor's fleet, and for the past two days they had been traveling through the warp. Seiras remained in the hanger for the majority of the time, and had literally no desire to leave because of what he had to do.

He expected it to be a while before the fleet got out of the warp. His battle brothers were all of doing various things to pass the time ranging from training, reading, to even just lounging about and telling stories. Luckily their accomodations in the hanger were better now, but that did little to ease Seiras' concern over the plot of heresy aboard the ship. Inquisitor Atia had calmed down thankfully and was nice enough to give them permission to wander around the ship the following day so long as they didn't do so with weapons.

The rest of his brothers were currently sitting around in their power armour as they did not like warp travel without it. Seiras had his on, and tried to sleep, but being a psyker and a Blood Raven, he never got good sleep. 'I need to go find that girl again,' Seiras thought as he watched Viggo and Nemias debating what the best pastime was.

"I'll be back in a little while brothers. I'm going to walk around the ship for a bit," Seiras told them as he stood up and headed for the exit. They all eyed him curiously, but said nothing as the librarian took his leave.

Seiras left and began to walk down the hallways of the ship for a while. He had no idea how long he had been pacing, but it must have been hours. Many armsmen and voidsmen acknowledged him as he wandered around to various parts of the ship and before long, Seiras discovered what must have been crew quarters. He stopped walking for a moment when he saw a group of people that appeared to be sneaking out of their quarters and moving to an isolated room. He heard strange sounds after a minute and walked over to investigate it.

Much to his displeasure, it was just two crew members having sex. He immediately kept walking as he was not interested in seeing or hearing it. 'That was certainly not something I wanted to see. Where am I ever going to find this Daniella woman?'

"Seiras is that you?" a familiar and eerily chilling voice sounded from nearby. Seiras already knew who it was and was now one hundred percent convinced that he and the Sororita weren't mistaken about there being something off with this woman. How she managed to find him on this large battleship before he found her, he had no idea.

"Daniella?" he asked as he looked over and noticed the guardsman in off duty attire.

Her face lit up with delight, "You remembered my name!?"

"I did. You are an easy woman to remember," Seiras tried to compliment her. He imagined Viggo laughing at him in his head for saying something like that, but hoped it was good enough.

"Well...I didn't think you would. I told you to call me Danny though," she said with a smile.

"Well, Danny, some people are special even if they don't realize it," Seiras said. It was a quote he was gifted from Nemias.

"You think I'm special?" She beamed with some strange type of ecstasy. It was only then that Seiras could finally sense a chaotic taint within her.

'What is that? She's got this darkness inside of her. Something is suppressing my ability to detect the source of chaos here, but there is definitely some in her,' Seiras concluded mentally.

"Well you're not like other women I've talked to before," Seiras said. He was lucky that he had already spent about a day sitting around and thinking of ways to get on the good side of the heretics. During that time he asked Viggo and Nemias more about how he should have reacted to women in the past. It was fortunate that they were knowledgable enough to help him understand it and not too curious about his sudden interest. They seemed all too eager to tell him everything they knew on the matter.

"Hmph is that so? What about the Sister of Battle the other day? I was so surprised you kissed her. I thought you two hated each other based on how that standoff in the Mess Hall went. I didn't know you had those kinds of feelings for girls," she said shyly.

"When did I ever say that?" Seiras asked. It was completely true, but he had to make it look like it wasn't.

"Hey let's go sit down. No reason to stand around and talk in a corridor," Daniella blushed with embarrassment as she grabbed his arm and tried to guide him somewhere.

The two walked for a moment before Daniella invited him to sit down in candle lit room nearby. It looked like a common room for off duty crew members to lounge about at. It was eerily similar to the room he walked by earlier with the crew members having sex. Nobody else was in the common room which was hardly surprising. Seiras sat down on the ground against a bulkhead so he didn't break any furniture with his power armour, and Daniella sat right next to him. He was somewhat surprised to see how comfortable she was sitting next to him.

'Where is the crew right now?' Seiras thought confused.

"So...what's going on with you and that Sororita?" Daniella asked after a brief and awkward silence.

Seiras remembered what Jessenta told him to say and mentally prepared himself for what would come after. He took a deep breath and sighed, "Ah that...well it's a strange series of events really. It mostly came from how I was feeling at the time. The Inquisitor doesn't appreciate me and all the things I do. It's put me in a strange mindset lately."

"She's a complete bitch...you're an angel of the emperor. She is just jealous that you're so perfect," the woman said blushing as she clutched onto his arm and leaned into him.

He looked over at her curiously, but chose not to comment on her actions.

"I just feel like after all these years nothing fulfills me like it used to. I've given so much and endured so much pain that I just can't feel anything anymore except this feeling of being trapped and enslaved. I just repress everything and do what I'm told day after day after day. I got so tired of suppressing my emotions and holding back that I just let go for a moment. I was free for the first time in my life," he said with a whisper. What he said was something a fellow librarian had told him before turning to chaos. Seiras felt his insides literally shiver repeating his former brother's words.

'I wonder how convincing I am? I've never actually deceived someone like this before.' Seiras thought to himself. He spent an entire day thinking of ways to do it, and oddly enough it was just coming naturally.

"You...let go? Is that why you kissed the sister?" Daniella replied breathing some strange way as if she was enjoying the thought.

Seiras remembered the phrase Jessenta used to describe how she would react, 'Did that turn her on? What kind of a person gets sexual arousal from me saying that? She is a heretic...without a doubt.'

"The sister wanted to chastise me about being disrespectful to her and the Inquisitor. She tried to assert authority over me. She said that she was calling the shots and I was her bitch I think was the phrase she used. I got mad and for a moment I wanted to shut her up and dominate her," Seiras continued.

"Dominate her? That is so hot..." Daniella said with lustful breaths.

'Why am I so good at lying? Should I be concerned about this? I was not expecting her to believe this story so easily,' Seiras thought as he tried to keep a deep thoughtful expression.

"Hot?" Seiras asked. He had never heard that in reference to a person before.

"Sexy...as in putting a woman in heat. Making her crave sex," she said suggestively.

Seiras cocked his head confused, "I see..."

"You ever think what would happen if you lost control like that again and kept going? You would have taken her right then and there. I have to say...it made me a bit jealous," she said looking at him with flushed cheeks and extremely dilated pupils.

'Is she on drugs? That doesn't look normal,' Seiras thought as he made eye contact with her. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to look back and simply had a calm, stoic face.

"Okay...it made me really jealous. I was already jealous enough of her before she seduced you. Now I hate her for it," the woman said as she started to climb onto the man.

"You were jealous of her for what?" he repeated the phrase in a question.

"Of how she was so beautiful that you couldn't control yourself...about how powerful, confident, and respected she is. About how she touched you and influenced you in a way that I couldn't. I want what she has. I want men and women to respect me and desire me like that. I want it all...I want it. I want what she doesn't deserve. You're so perfect, Seiras...can't you just let go with me like you did with her? I won't stop you. I never did properly thank you for saving my life," she said breathing lustfully as she straddled him and moved closer to his face.

'She's already trying to seduce me?! I was not expecting this. What do I do now?' Seiras thought bewildered. He tried briefly to read her mind and see what she was thinking, but much to his surprise he couldn't without forcing it.

'This is definitely wrong. Is this a test to see if I can be trusted? I guess I have to kiss her. This will not be enjoyable,' the Blood Raven concluded mentally.

Before the woman could reach his face, Seiras leaned in first and kissed her. It felt incredibly unnatural and downright wrong to him as the woman practically attacked him. Unlike his kiss with Jessenta which was simple and pure, this one with Daniella was depraved and in his opinion gross.

She sucked, smacked, and bit his lips with aggressive lust. Seiras could practically taste the food she ate and the alcohol she drank as he felt her tongue trying to force its way inside his mouth. She persistently licked his lips until he begrudgingly let her tongue in. The heretic woman seemed to lose control as she passionately indulged herself in the eccstasy of the moment.

Seiras had never felt more uncomfortable in his entire life, and was doing anything in his willpower to remain calm and unsuspicious. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the woman stopped making out with him.

"Make me yours forever, Seiras...I never want this feeling to go away," she said as if she was getting high off of her own desire. Seiras prayed he would never have to do something so disturbing again.

'Emperor please don't make me have to do anything else with this insane heretic...it's bad enough I let her defile my mouth. I just met her again and she's already obsessed with me? She is crazy.' Seiras thought to himself as he wondered what was coming next.

"How?" he asked.

"Make love to me..." she said lustfully.

'Thank the emperor I'm in power armour or she would probably be trying to force it already,' the man thought.

"Ah well...I can't really do that," Seiras replied.

She frowned, "Why not?"

"Space Marines have their sex drives heavily suppressed during our indoctrination. We're usually not able to experience sexual desire. Didn't you hear what Gregorius said in the mess hall?" Seiras replied.

"I thought that just meant you were too busy to have sex..." She said with a distraught look on her face.

'I dodged that disaster...I wonder if she'll trust me now?' Seiras thought.

"I know a way to get rid of that suppressed sex drive...but you might not like it." she said after a brief silence.

'Ughh great of course you do. Wait let me guess...does it involve the benevolent chaos god Slaanesh?' Seiras thought sarcastically.

"What is it? If it's something that means this much to you, I would like to know," Seiras asked.

'Please tell me it doesn't involve daemons...' the man thought.

"I don't want you to hate me for it," she said sadly.

"Hate you? What's so bad about it? What could possibly make me hate you?" Seiras asked as innocently as he could.

She looked at him, "Promise me...promise me if I tell you that you will understand. I-I don't want this thing between us to go away. I want to make love to you."

'What in the name of the Emperor is this lunatic talking about? What thing between us? And what did she say? Make love?!' he thought bewildered. He already knew that he was at the edge of the rabbit hole now and this was the last step before falling in.

"Is it something...not allowed?" Seiras tried to bait her.

Daniella bit her lip and looked at him unsure of how to answer. Deciding to ease her fear of discovery or death, Seiras whispered to her, "Show me...I'll understand."

"Promise me you'll understand." she asked somewhat desperately.

"I promise," he said softly.

She was breathing heavily as if she was scared to continue. Considering the fact that he knew she was a heretic, Seiras could definitely understand why. Telling a normal space marine about your cult would usually get you killed immediately. Finally after a moment she stood up, "I'll show you."

Grabbing his hand, she guided him down the hall to what he assumed was her quarters. Upon entering her room, he saw it was empty. Her shipmates were undoubtedly off doing something else. It was very likely the guardsmen were on armsmen duty. Daniella reached into her belongings, and there she dug out a hidden little pendant. It was oddly shaped, but it didn't take Seiras long to recognize what it was...a Slaaneshi symbol.